Patina

Hmm.. does a patina bother you if your for example cutting potatoes and you see some dark marks on the potato from the patina? Is it safe to eat?

I like patinas but always wondered if it was ok to eat food that had some patina rub off on it.

Also not a fan of brass, but like patinas.
 
shinyedges said:
Hmm.. does a patina bother you if your for example cutting potatoes and you see some dark marks on the potato from the patina? Is it safe to eat?

I like patinas but always wondered if it was ok to eat food that had some patina rub off on it.

Also not a fan of brass, but like patinas.
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I just never really liked the look of the dark blades.

Is patina rub off on food harmful? No, absolutely no with modern tool steels.

Was it a problem with a $35.00/lb chunk of halibut that I cut at Whole Foods and had the customer(s) come back complaining about staining on the meat? Oh yes.

But my perspective was formed long before that....

Wayne Valachovic fighter..purchased 1985..the most beautiful thuya burl handle.....hand rubbed satin finish......powder rust....the ONLY reason I got rid of that knife is at the time I didn't know how to "STOP" the "natural" transformation.

I'm in the same camp as everyone who likes beautiful gun bluing and walnut grips, but am also in the same camp as folks that want the bluing and walnut grips to look the SAME if not better in 20 years as they do now, and that is not realistic, which is why DLC Coating and stabilized wood is so popular.

My firearms are mostly synthetics and stainless steels, I value performance and stability of materials significantly more than the "romance" of it all.

If I want romance, I'll cook dinner for my wife, shower and shave, break out a bottle of whine and hope for the best, lol.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
I didn't think it was harmful, I ate it anyway lol good to know its safe to eat Thanks. Should have told the people who complained about the halibut quit whining lol
Kohai999 said:
I just never really liked the look of the dark blades.

Is patina rub off on food harmful? No, absolutely no with modern tool steels

Was it a problem with a $35.00/lb chunk of halibut that I cut at Whole Foods and had the customer(s) come back complaining about staining on the meat? Oh yes.

But my perspective was formed long before that....

Wayne Valachovic fighter..purchased 1985..the most beautiful thuya burl handle.....hand rubbed satin finish......powder rust....the ONLY reason I got rid of that knife is at the time I didn't know how to "STOP" the "natural" transformation.

I'm in the same camp as everyone who likes beautiful gun bluing and walnut grips, but am also in the same camp as folks that want the bluing and walnut grips to look the SAME if not better in 20 years as they do now, and that is not realistic, which is why DLC Coating and stabilized wood is so popular.

My firearms are mostly synthetics and stainless steels, I value performance and stability of materials significantly more than the "romance" of it all.

If I want romance, I'll cook dinner for my wife, shower and shave, break out a bottle of whine and hope for the best, lol.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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I'm one of those guys who thinks a carbon blade looks naked without a patina, and I like brass too, but only on old style hunters, you know the kind, stacked leather handle, stag, etc.

P.S. If your "patina" is coming off on your food, that's not patina, that's crud. You should be able to wash your blade, even scotchguard it, and still show the patina. To me, the patina should be a deep stain caused by natural usage, cutting onions, lemons, and so on. But, that's just my experience, others will differ I suppose.
 
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David Stifle said:
P.S. If your "patina" is coming off on your food, that's not patina, that's crud. You should be able to wash your blade, even scotchguard it, and still show the patina. To me, the patina should be a deep stain caused by natural usage, cutting onions, lemons, and so on. But, that's just my experience, others will differ I suppose.
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This knife that I was using for fishcutting was patina'd by me.....it's BLACK....it was done over time, in natural use of about 4 months...with cleaning and setting times involved, clean at night when putting up, quick rinse/wipe with mineral oil in the morning.....white steak fish for some reason seem to draw oxides off of knife steel, and this is something borne out of experience as well as consultation with some of the most accomplished folks out there.....whatever sushi chefs do with their knives seems to avoid this problem, and THEM I have not consulted with yet, as I tend to go out late, and they are usually already too sauced to ask serious questions at midnight.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Nick Wheeler in 1084 on the left - Ken Erickson in Ats 34 on the right



I go back and forth between which I like more. That being said, I usually wish my carbon steel knives we're cleaner more often than I wished by stainless blades were patina'd

It is important to note though that I much prefer carbon steel and the only stainless steel I feel acts like carbon but is stainless is AEB-L... could have all my knives in that blade steel...
 
I think i'm not really a fan patinas, unless..

A damascus blade darkened from oils or oxidation over time counts...? My ladder pattern folders I have used look nice with that.
 
People have been eating off of Carbon steel knives and even Iron knives before that for a few thousand years. If we lined everyone up on the planet I'm sure we could find someone that falls over dead from black crud off of carbon steel knives on their food.

That's where our immune systems come in. you would be appalled at all of the "Crud "we take in everyday and what we have growing on our skin. :eek:

Keep things as clean as possible in the kitchen and that includes your carbon and stainless steel knives!

Unless you or someone in your family that you cook for has a compromised immune system, you should be fine.
 
For me, there's nothing sexier when it comes to knives than a nice gyuto / chef knife with a wicked patina on it. I'm talking about those amazing blue/purple splashes on the blade caused by blood. Gimme some of that :D
 
stereo.pete said:
For me, there's nothing sexier when it comes to knives than a nice gyuto / chef knife with a wicked patina on it. I'm talking about those amazing blue/purple splashes on the blade caused by blood. Gimme some of that :D
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Uh....no....less than not interested.

I know about blood.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
I like a patina on my working knives. In collection pieces, I can't stand it. My working knives are tools first and intended from the get-go to be used. The patina reinforces that. I view my collection pieces as art, and prefer to keep them as close as possible to the way the maker created them.

I'm with you on brass, but dislike it because of the color rather than the way it patinates. Bronze and copper are two of my favorite materials, and I love the natural patinas that form on them.
 
Steve, while I've only been on this forum for a short time, you truly reflect the wise words, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." I love the fact that you stick to your beliefs and stand by them!
 
stereo.pete said:
Steve, while I've only been on this forum for a short time, you truly reflect the wise words, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." I love the fact that you stick to your beliefs and stand by them!
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Those beliefs are reinforced by time and experience.

That carbon steel fishcutter? The was GIVEN to me by a premier bladesmith....the ergonomics and geometry were PERFECT....but the steel "wouldn't cut it" in MY industrial environment.

Both the paring knife and the utility that I mentioned in the OP are beautiful and wonderfully functional knives that I would purchase again.....but would also be a lot happier with them in stainless or the afformentioned damascus "patina" that Jon Brand mentioned.

A properly etched carbon damascus has a pretty solid layer of oxides already on it....not dissimilar to what Tad was talking about with his acid etch....and this looks and functions 'mostly" well...it will still rust really bad if not cared for, it just isn't as "precious" as unetched carbon steel.

Here is something to consider.....I carried a COATED Benchmade M4 710 for a few months, people raved about this steel.....except, the exposed edge rusted like a mofo, and since my carry is IWB, thing was always dull...Benchmade replaced the blade to their continual credit, and I stopped carrying it.

Doesn't mean it is bad steel....doesn't mean the many people who carried the knife and loved it were wrong.....it means that the knife steel the way I carried it was wrong for ME.

If I didn't want a discussion with people chiming in about the subject, I guess I could have blogged about it, lol.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
a nice hamon or quench line is a form of forced patina that I really enjoy. im not mad on brass fittings , but bronze and copper are real nice, and age gracefully.
 
Don Hanson III said:
I also Do Not like brass at all!!! :)
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There's a lot of your knives out there with brass, like the one I have and use. I have a lot more maintenance on the O1 blade than I do with the brass and nickel silver. But then most of your knives with brass are in peoples pockets, so you won't see them much, until the owner dies and it comes up at auction...that's how I got my early Sunfish Forge. Still tickin and takin a lickin.
 
this proves that the knife lives . The knives that we love are not all made to showcase




... but I must recognize that I have used it for one of my knives, I hurry to clean:D
 
brownshoe said:
There's a lot of your knives out there with brass, like the one I have and use. I have a lot more maintenance on the O1 blade than I do with the brass and nickel silver. But then most of your knives with brass are in peoples pockets, so you won't see them much, until the owner dies and it comes up at auction...that's how I got my early Sunfish Forge. Still tickin and takin a lickin.
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Brass works ok for liners on slip joints, been used for many, many years. I like it for that use. But now days I use SS or titanium for liners. Still use carbon steel for the blades & springs, usually W2. :cool:
 
I do like a patina on a knife.

But I don't own any knives for collecting.

I have a few carbon steel knives in my kitchen, and use them regularly.

I am completely understanding about the carbon steel on whitefish for sure. I have had that happen, where the carbon steel left a black/grey line in the fish. But, luckily, it was just for me and my family, so no complaints from any customers.

I use the carbon for most of the cutting, but I have stainless as well, for anything where I am worried about imparting metallic flavor or color.
 


This one sees a lot of use in the kitchen...
 
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